Robot cleaner and method for controlling same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners take a long time to search for a charging stand when its location is unknown, leading to potential battery discharge and interference with obstacles during the return process.
Innovation Solution
The robot cleaner uses a position recognition unit and control unit to map cleaned and uncleaned regions, allowing it to move towards a boundary point between cleaned and uncleaned areas to search for the charging stand, reducing unnecessary travel through cleaned regions and optimizing obstacle avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot cleaner searches for the charging stand when its location is unknown, then the robot cleaner can find the charging stand, but it takes a long time to search
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner performs preliminary actions during the cleaning process by continuously recognizing and mapping the charging stand's location and storing it in memory. This preliminary recognition and mapping action is performed before the actual return journey, so when the robot needs to return to charge, it already has the charging stand's location information ready, eliminating the need for time-consuming search operations.
2Loss of time
If the robot cleaner moves directly toward the charging stand when position is known, then the return time is reduced, but the robot may encounter obstacles or battery discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner uses feedback from its position recognition unit and map storage unit during the return journey. It continuously monitors its position relative to the charging stand using the pre-stored location information, and adjusts its path in real-time to avoid obstacles. This feedback mechanism ensures the robot can maintain an efficient direct path while adapting to dynamic environmental conditions.
3Reliability
If the robot cleaner performs wall-following to search for the charging stand, then the robot can find the charging stand, but it increases the search time and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner performs preliminary recognition and mapping of the charging stand's location and the room's layout during the cleaning phase. This preliminary action stores spatial information in memory, so when return is needed, the robot can use this pre-acquired information to navigate directly to the charging stand without performing energy-intensive wall-following search operations.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A robot cleaner according to the present invention includes a body provided with a driving unit for movement, a position recognition unit provided in the body to recognize a position of the body, a storage unit configured to store, on a map, a region cleaned while the body is moving by the driving unit, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit, wherein the control unit determines whether a charging stand exists in a cleaning completed region on the map stored in the storage unit when a return condition that the body returns to the charging stand is satisfied, searches for an uncleaned region when the charging stand is not located in the cleaning completed region, and controls the driving unit such that the body moves from a current position to a point in a found uncleaned region or a point around the found uncleaned region.